Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Introversion And Autism: A Conceptual Exploration Of The Placement Of Introversion On The Autism Spectrum, Jennifer Grimes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The conceptualization of the personality construct of introversion has been problematic since the term's inception due to the complexity and seemingly self-contradictory nature of the collection of attributes of which it is comprised. To advance the understanding of introversion, I propose that it is a continuous segment of the non-clinical part of the autism spectrum, and that it is not the same as the inverse of extraversion. When introversion and autism are placed on the same continuum, the nature of the relationship of the traits becomes more apparent, and new possibilities are available for exploration of both autism and introversion. …

Cognitive Therapy For The Treatment Of Depressive Symptoms In Patients With Heart Failure, Rebecca L. Dekker

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Depressive symptoms are common in patients with heart failure (HF) and adversely affect mortality, morbidity, and health-related quality of life. Cognitive therapy (CT) has been proposed as a non-pharmacological treatment for depressive symptoms in patients with HF. However, there is currently little evidence to support use of CT in patients with HF.

The purpose of this dissertation was to develop and test a brief, nurse-delivered CT intervention for the treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with HF. Prior to testing the intervention, preliminary work was conducted resulting in four manuscripts: 1) a review of the evidence for CT in treating …

Perspectives Emerging From Neuroscience On Why People Become Addicted And What To Do About It, Jill Littrell

SW Publications

This paper reviews the new ideas emerging from neuroscience regarding the question of why some people are compelled to use drugs. During the process of drug exposure, the brain’s motivational system is changed in ways that co-opts the individual’s motivational system. Changes in the brain’s motivational structures along with changes in the brain’s self-regulatory structures compel an individual to drug use. Ways to reverse those changes in an addicted brain have been identified, as have ways to enhance self-regulatory control. The information from neuroscience offers a new perspective on “loss of control” as well as offering implications for treatment.

Role Stress, Emotional Exhaustion, And Job Satisfaction In The Hotel Industry: The Moderating Role Of Supervisory Support, Osman M. Karatepe

Hospitality Review

The purpose of this study is to investigate supervisory support as a moderator of the effects of role conflict and role ambiguity on emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction. This study also examines the moderating role of supervisory support on the relationship between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction. Data were collected from a sample of frontline hotel employees in Northern Cyprus. The aforementioned relationships were tested based on hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results demonstrate that supervisory support mitigates the impact of role conflict on emotional exhaustion and further reveal that supervisory support reduces the effect of emotional exhaustion on job …

The Foodservice Industry's Social Responsibility Regarding The Obesity Epidemic, Part Ii: Incorporating Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Into Foodservice Operations, Audrey C. Mccool, Barent N. Mccool

Hospitality Review

Just as all types of business firms are now expected to go beyond their profit-oriented activities in boosting the well-being of the community, so, too, is corporate social responsibility (CSR) expected from foodservice firms. The significance of the obesity epidemic, combined with the foodservice industry's role in the development of this epidemic, suggests that the industry has an ethical responsibility to implement CSR activities that will help reduce obesity, particularly among children. CSR should be seen as an efficient management strategy through which a firm voluntarily integrates social and environmental concerns into its business operations and its interactions with stakeholders. …

Executive Deficits In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Examining The Consequences Of Self-Regulatory Impairment On Quality Of Life, Abbey R. Roach

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks the motor system and contributes to a range of cognitive and behavioral impairments (e.g., behavioral and emotional disinhibition, planning and problem solving difficulties, impulsivity, attention, and personality change). This executive dysfunction may contribute to selfregulatory impairment across several domains, including cognitive skills, thought processes, emotion regulation, interpersonal skills, and physiology, that may be crucial to the quality of life (QOL), or well being, of patients and their caregivers. Given the relentless course and prognosis of ALS, palliative treatments for ALS should target the full range of self-regulatory deficits. Thirty-seven …

What Is The Impact Of Kentucky’S Pharmacy Recovery Network?, Benjamin Paul Clark

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem Statement: This capstone will focus on Kentucky’s Pharmacy Recovery Network (PRN). In general, professional recovery networks are organizations that act as a liaison between professional state boards and the health professionals who are dealing with substance abuse and addictions that sometimes result in negative consequences to that individual and/or their profession. Instead of a “one-strike and you are out” approach, these organizations recognize that there is a disease process occurring. Thus, as opposed to engaging in strictly punitive measures, a rehabilitative approach is chosen to allow the health professional an opportunity to recover and successfully reenter into their profession. …

A Comprehensive Approach To Obesity, Hypertension, And Mental Health Evaluation, Stefan G. Kiessling, Kimberly K. Mcclanahan, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The global epidemic of childhood and adolescent obesity in developing and developed countries has become a major public health concern. Given the relationship between obesity and hypertension as documented in several landmark studies, it is no surprise that, as the prevalence of obesity has increased in the pediatric population, rates of hypertension have also increased substantially. Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and stroke; therefore, evaluation and initiation of appropriate treatment are extremely important in the pediatric population. Evaluation for secondary causes of hypertension, including renovascular, renoparenchymal, and endocrine disease, is the approach most …

Youth Suicide Prevention In Rural Kentucky, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Youth suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Nation wide it is the third leading cause of death in the 10-24 year old age group. The rate of suicide varies somewhat from state to state. In the state of Kentucky, youth suicide is the second leading cause of death. This article describes a grass roots, community based program for youth suicide prevention and its impact on the community. The Stop Youth Suicide Campaign was launched in 2000 and included more than 30 local agencies. This program worked through public education, education of …

Quality Of Life And Persons With Intellectual Disability: Can We Measure Qol In This Population?, Søren Ventegodt, Hatim A. Omar, Flemming Struve, Tove K. Nielsen, Isack Kandel, Joav Merrick

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Quality of life (QOL) has been discussed by professionals working with persons with intellectual disability (ID) for some time, but since QOL is concerned with subjective well-being, satisfaction and happiness, how is it possible to measure, when the person in question is unable to communicate? Consciousness is believed to be an internal and personal thing, but we have done the simple experiment to ask observers to rate QOL of another person, also in sub dimensions like self-assessed physical and mental health, relationship with self, self-assessed sexual ability, self-assessed social ability, and we have found that people are able to assess …

A Four-Stage Method For Developing Early Interventions For Alcohol Among Aboriginal Adolescents, Christopher J. Mushquash, Brian D. Mcleod, Sherry H. Stewart

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This paper details a four-stage methodology for developing early alcohol interventions for at-risk Aboriginal youth. Stage 1 was an integrative approach to Aboriginal education that upholds Aboriginal traditional wisdom supporting respectful relationships to the Creator, to the land and to each other. Stage 2 used quantitative methods to investigate associations between personality risk factors and risky drinking motives. Stage 3 used qualitative interviews to further understand the contexts and circumstances surrounding drinking behaviour within a larger cultural context. Stage 3 involved tailoring personality- matched, motive-specific brief interventions to meet at-risk adolescents’ needs. Stage 4 involved an efficacy test of the …

Children With Fasd- Related Disabilities Receiving Services From Child Welfare Agencies In Manitoba, Don Fuchs, Linda Burnside, Sheila Marchenski, Andria Mudry

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a serious social and health problem for the child welfare, health and education systems in North America and other parts of the world. This article describes the population of children in care of the child welfare system in Manitoba. Also this article will highlight the relevance of these research findings to aboriginal populations in Canada and its implications for international aboriginal/ indigenous groups. Finally, the implications for policy, practice are discussed and the article puts forward some directions for further research.

Viewing Violence, Mental Illness And Addiction Through A Wise Practices Lens, Cynthia C. Wesley-Esquimaux, Andrew Snowball

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The progressive approaches First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities use to address health and wellness concerns are rarely written about or acknowledged in a positive manner. This paper speaks to a concept introduced through the Canadian Aboriginal Aids Network (CAAN) entitled “wise practices”. CAAN saw a wise practices model as more useful and inclusive of Aboriginal community practice and knowledge exchange than the current “best practice” model. In addition, wise practices acknowledge and express the notion of “Changing the Face of Aboriginal Canada”, a metaphor frequently used by the senior author of this paper, as a long overdue vehicle for …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Guiding Management With Careful Assessment Of Comorbid Mental And Physical Illness, Don Richardson, Diane Mcintosh, Murray B. Stein, Jitender Sareen

MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and serious psychiatric condition in the civilian and veteran population. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the Canadian general population is 9.2%, which, surprisingly, is not significantly different from the 7.2% lifetime prevalence rate within the Canadian Regular Forces. In Canadian veterans pensioned with a medical condition the 1-month prevalence was 10.3%. Given the serious functional impairment and impaired quality of life associated with PTSD, careful assessment and treatment of PTSD is warranted. Due to the complex clinical presentation of PTSD, which can include symptoms across the continuum from adjustment disorder and subthreshold …

Internalized Stigma As A Barrier To Improvement In Vocational Functioning Among People With Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders, Philip T. Yanos, Paul Lysaker, David Roe

Publications and Research

We examined the relationship between internalized stigma and changes in vocational function. Persons with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n=78) were assessed at baseline and 5 months after vocational rehabilitation. Internalized stigma and cognitive–behavioral treatment predicted change in vocational functioning, supporting the view that internalized stigma compromises vocational outcomes.

Comprehensive Evidence-Based Program Teaching Self-Management Of Auditory Hallucinations On Inpatient Psychiatric Units, Robin Buccheri, L Trygstad, M Buffum, K Lyttle, G Dowling

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Patients hearing command hallucinations to harm whose only self-management strategies are to obey these commands, can represent serious safety concerns on inpatient psychiatric units. A comprehensive evidence-based program teaching self-management of auditory hallucinations on inpatient psychiatric units is described that includes five components: suggestions for staff education; patient self-assessment tools; an interview guide and safety protocol; a course to teach strategies for managing distressing voices and commands to harm; suggestions to improve staff communication; and a plan to extend the program from inpatient care settings into the community by sharing materials with community case managers and caregivers when patients are …

Strengthening Family Practices For Latino Families, Karen G. Chartier, Lirio K. Negroni, Michie N. Hesselbrock

Social Work Publications

The study examined the effectiveness of a culturally-adapted Strengthening Families Program (SFP) for Latinos to reduce risks for alcohol and drug use in children. Latino families, predominantly Puerto Rican, with a 9–12 year old child and a parent(s) with a substance abuse problem participated in the study. Pre- and post-tests were conducted with each family. Parental stress, parent-child dysfunctional relations, and child behavior problems were reduced in the families receiving the intervention; family hardiness and family attachment were improved. Findings contribute to the validation of the SFP with Latinos, and can be used to inform social work practice with Puerto …

Ethnicity And Health Disparities In Alcohol Research, Karen G. Chartier, Raul Caetano

Social Work Publications

Recent advances in alcohol research continue to build our understanding of alcohol consumption and related consequences for U.S. ethnic minority groups. National surveys show variations across ethnicities in drinking, alcohol use disorders, alcohol problems, and treatment use. Higher rates of high-risk drinking among ethnic minorities are reported for Native Americans and Hispanics, although within-ethnic group differences (e.g., gender, age-group, and other subpopulations) also are evident for ethnicities. Whites and Native Americans have a greater risk for alcohol use disorders relative to other ethnic groups. However, once alcohol dependence occurs, Blacks and Hispanics experience higher rates than Whites of recurrent or …

Initial Assessment Of Community Midwives In Rural Pakistan, Abdul Wajid, Zubaida Rashid, Ali M. Mir

Reproductive Health

The goal of this Population Council study, funded by USAID through the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) project, was to assess the potential of community midwifery services in rural Pakistan in order to provide necessary evidence for future decisions regarding the training, practice, and placement of community midwives (CMWs). The introduction of a new cadre of skilled birth attendants is significant, especially at a time when Pakistan is working toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The report makes the following recommendations: 1) opportunities for practical training should be followed meticulously; 2) selection criteria should be revised especially for …

Process Evaluation Of Community Mobilization Activities, Zakir Hussain Shah

Reproductive Health

This report presents the findings of a process evaluation by the Population Council of community mobilization (CM) activities implemented under the PAIMAN project in Pakistan. PAIMAN developed a comprehensive communication, advocacy, and mobilization (CAM) strategy to increase knowledge and awareness of harmful practices among women and their family and to improve their health-seeking behaviors. The CAM roadmap acknowledges the importance of engaging communities in order to achieve behavior change and links clients with providers and services. The main objective of this evaluation was to assess the process of CM implementation and to identify its gaps in order to develop corrective …